[70], The Bahamas consists of a chain of islands spread out over some 800 kilometres (500 mi) in the Atlantic Ocean, located to the east of Florida in the United States, north of Cuba and Hispaniola and west of the British Overseas Territory of the Turks and Caicos Islands (with which it forms the Lucayan archipelago). As one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, it’s no wonder why the Bahamas doesn’t need to charge income tax to make ends meet. "Political Leadership in the Bahamas", The Bahamas Research Institute, No.1, May 1987. [citation needed], Bahamians have created a rich literature of poetry, short stories, plays and short fictional works. See Nils Brandsma’s answer to this question for a really good explanation of what those terms actually do mean. [14][18] Protestant denominations collectively account for more than 70% of the population, with Baptists representing 35% of the population, Anglicans 15%, Pentecostals 8%, Church of God 5%, Seventh-day Adventists 5% and Methodists 4%. First, Second, Third, and Fourth World Countries . [67], Politically, the first two decades were dominated by Pindling's PLP, who went on to win a string of electoral victories. This means they use less biocapacity than the Bahamas contains. Origin of the phrase Third World Countries The phrase ‘Third World Countries’ originated in 1952 during the time of the Cold War. The country has 61 airports, the chief of which are Lynden Pindling International Airport on New Providence, Grand Bahama International Airport on Grand Bahama Island and Leonard M. Thompson International Airport (formerly Marsh Harbour Airport) on Abaco Island. [113] There are also smaller communities of Jews, Muslims, Baháʼís, Hindus, Rastafarians and practitioners of traditional African religions such as Obeah. The slave trade was abolished by the British in 1807; slavery in The Bahamas was abolished in 1834. He was praised for his resolution of civil unrest over low wages in Nassau in June 1942, when there was a "full-scale riot". [13] Columbus was the first European to see the islands, making his first landfall in the 'New World' in 1492. The Bahamian officials freed the 128 slaves who chose to stay in the islands. [18], The 1494 Treaty of Tordesillas theoretically divided the new territories between the Kingdom of Castile and the Kingdom of Portugal, placing The Bahamas in the Spanish sphere; however they did little to press their claim on the ground. Several blue holes are aligned along the South Andros Fault line. There are 110 councillors and 281 town committee members elected to represent the various districts. These limestones would have been deposited in shallow seas, assumed to be a stretched and thinned portion of the North American continental crust. Its colours symbolise the strength of the Bahamian people; its design reflects aspects of the natural environment (sun and sea) and economic and social development. [64] Sir Milo Butler was appointed the first governor-general of The Bahamas (the official representative of Queen Elizabeth II) shortly after independence. [18] The Bahamas is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations and shares its head of state with other Commonwealth realms. The designation of "Third World" countries was created by Alfred Sauvy, a French demographer, in an article that he wrote for the French magazine, L'Observateur in 1952, after World War II and during the Cold War-era. [30], During the American War of Independence in the late 18th century, the islands became a target for US naval forces. In 1729, a local assembly was established giving a degree of self-governance for the English settlers. The couple visited the "Out Islands" that November, on Axel Wenner-Gren's yacht, which caused controversy;[49] the British Foreign Office strenuously objected because they had been advised by United States intelligence that Wenner-Gren was a close friend of the Luftwaffe commander Hermann Göring of Nazi Germany. He had previously competed for the United Kingdom in the 1948 Olympics, finishing in 4th place in the Star class again with Sloane Elmo Farrington. In 1968, Pindling announced that The Bahamas would seek full independence. [109] They make up less than 2% of the nation's population, but have still preserved their distinct Greek Bahamian culture. The University of the Bahamas was chartered on 10 November 2016.[148]. After the American Revolutionary War, the Crown resettled thousands of American Loyalists to The Bahamas; they took enslaved people with them and established plantations on land grants. [33] The government granted land to the planters to help compensate for losses on the continent. [100] The infant mortality rate is 23.21 deaths/1,000 live births. [citation needed], The Bahamas were hosts of the first men's senior FIFA tournament to be staged in the Caribbean, the 2017 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup. The First, the Second, and the Third World. The World Bank is an international development organization owned by 187 countries. The Arawak Indians were the first inhabitants of the Bahamas. [56]:p.78 Ingraham went on to win the 1997 Bahamian general election, before being defeated in 2002, when the PLP returned to power under Perry Christie. Cricket has been played in The Bahamas from 1846,[124] the oldest sport being played in the country today. [28] In 1720, the Spanish attacked Nassau during the War of the Quadruple Alliance. [27] To put an end to the 'Pirates' republic' and restore orderly government, Great Britain made The Bahamas a crown colony in 1718, which they dubbed "The Bahama islands" under the royal governorship of Woodes Rogers. The Spanish did however exploit the native Lucayan peoples, many of whom were enslaved and sent to Hispaniola for use as forced labour. Destination Bahamas, a country profile of the Caribbean archipelago in the northwest of West Indies. Queen Elizabeth II, serves as the nominal Chief of State, is represented ceremonially by the Governor-General who in turn is advised by the Prime Minister and the cabinet. The Bahamas (/bəˈhɑːməz/ (listen)), known officially as the Commonwealth of The Bahamas,[12] is a country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the West Indies in the Atlantic. [citation needed], The districts of The Bahamas provide a system of local government everywhere except New Providence (which holds 70 percent of the national population), whose affairs are handled directly by the central government. Hubert Minnis MP. Today cricket is still enjoyed by a few locals and immigrants in the country, usually from Jamaica, Guyana, Haiti and Barbados. [36][37] Some of their descendants in Red Bays continue African Seminole traditions in basket making and grave marking. [52] The Duke resigned from the post on 16 March 1945. Durward Knowles was a sailor and Olympic champion from The Bahamas. In 1684, Spanish corsair Juan de Alcon raided the capital Charles Town (later renamed Nassau),[24] and in 1703, a joint Franco-Spanish expedition briefly occupied Nassau during the War of the Spanish Succession. Our economy is comprised mainly of service-based industry with some agricultural, fisheries and light manufacturing. Sometimes Bahamians use the term Conchy Joe to describe people of Anglo descent. Junkanoo is also used to celebrate other holidays and events such as Emancipation Day. A 1991 biography by Philip Ziegler, however, described him as contemptuous of the Bahamians and other non-European peoples of the Empire. The English had expressed an interest in The Bahamas as early as 1629. [13], Legislative power is vested in a bicameral parliament, which consists of a 38-member House of Assembly (the lower house), with members elected from single-member districts, and a 16-member Senate, with members appointed by the governor-general, including nine on the advice of the Prime Minister, four on the advice of the leader of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition, and three on the advice of the prime minister after consultation with the Leader of the Opposition. [1], Agriculture and manufacturing form the third largest sector of the Bahamian economy, representing 5–7% of total GDP. The Bahamas operates as a parliamentary constitutional Monarchy with the United Kingdoms Queen Elizabeth II as its […] [92] Its currency (the Bahamian dollar) is kept at a 1-to-1 peg with the US dollar. The Bahamas' booming economy led to it becoming a beacon for immigrants, most notably from Haiti. 1836", "40th Anniversary of Snow in South Florida", "Climatological Information for Nassau, Bahamas (1961–1990)", "A more modern crown: changing the rules of succession in the Commonwealth Realms", "United States Donates $3.6M in Modular Shelters, Rescue Boats, and Construction Materials for Hurricane Response in The Bahamas", Family Island District Councillors & Town Committee Members, "The Yellow Elder - National Flower of The Bahamas - Government - Details", "Ecological Footprint Accounting for Countries: Updates and Results of the National Footprint Accounts, 2012–2018", Country Comparison "Total fertility rate", http://www.aiafla.org/upload_documents/CaribbeanCountriesResourceGuide.pdf, The Names of Loyalist Settlers and Grants of Land Which They Received from the British Government: 1778–1783, Bahamas: International Religious Freedom Report 2008, "SWAA students have accomplished Bahamian playwright, actor and poet Laurente Gibbs as Guest Speaker", "International Religious Freedom Report 2005 – Bahamas", Call to continue to develop softball | The Tribune, "Team Bahamas ratified for volleyball championships", "American football in The Bahamas poised for a new era of exposure", "NBA Mock Draft 2016: Denzel Valentine takes big dive due to possible knee issue", "The Bahamas to host football match as part of 40th anniversary of independence", "The East Ender who blew a billion dollars in a day", FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup 2013 – CONCACAF Qualifier Bahamas, "Elite Bahamian Education Program – About Us", "Olympic champion Tonique Williams-Darling looks forward to World Athletics Final", International Association of Athletics Federations, "Ethics: Executive Committee unanimously supports recommendation to publish report on 2018/2022 FIFA World Cup™ bidding process", Key Development Forecasts for The Bahamas, Maps of the Bahamas from the American Geographical Society Library, Sovereign states and dependent territories, Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology, Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), Rhodesia unilaterally declared independence, St. Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Bahamas&oldid=1002578541, English-speaking countries and territories, Member states of the Commonwealth of Nations, 1647 establishments in the British Empire, States and territories established in 1973, Short description is different from Wikidata, Wikipedia indefinitely move-protected pages, Articles containing Spanish-language text, Articles lacking reliable references from August 2020, Articles with unsourced statements from September 2019, Articles with unsourced statements from July 2019, Articles with unsourced statements from July 2020, All articles with vague or ambiguous time, Vague or ambiguous time from January 2019, Articles with unsourced statements from February 2017, Pages using Sister project links with hidden wikidata, Pages using Sister project links with default search, Official website different in Wikidata and Wikipedia, Wikipedia articles with MusicBrainz area identifiers, Wikipedia articles with SUDOC identifiers, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Collinwood, Dean. In total, there are 32 districts, with elections being held every five years. Most islands have ridges ranging from 30 to 45 m (98 to 148 ft), though Cat Island has a ridge 60 m (200 ft) in height. The Bahamas also associates closely with other nations of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). Tidal flats and tidal creeks are common, but the more impressive drainage patterns are formed by troughs and canyons such as Great Bahama Canyon with the evidence of turbidity currents and turbidite deposition. The Third World was a group of nations, which was aligned neither to the NATO countries or the Communist bloc. [58] A new constitution giving The Bahamas increased control over its own affairs was adopted in 1968. However, worried about the stability of its large domestic slave trade and its value, the United States argued that the United Kingdom should not treat its domestic ships that came to its colonial ports under duress as part of the international trade. The Bahamas has a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system of government based on the Westminster. Other popular sports are swimming,[137] tennis[138] and boxing,[139] where Bahamians have enjoyed some degree of success at the international level. It lies between latitudes 20° and 28°N, and longitudes 72° and 80°W and straddles the Tropic of Cancer. Common themes in these works are (1) an awareness of change, (2) a striving for sophistication, (3) a search for identity, (4) nostalgia for the old ways and (5) an appreciation of beauty. [65], Shortly after independence, The Bahamas joined the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank on 22 August 1973,[66] and later the United Nations on 18 September 1973. Barbados is one of the more populous and prosperous Caribbean islands. The national sport is cricket. With economic growth faltering, Bahamians re-elected the FNM in 2017, with Hubert Minnis becoming the fourth prime minister. They are affectionately known as the "Golden Girls". With 16 major islands, The Bahamas is an unmatched destination, a heart-pounding adventure across 100,000 square miles of the world’s clearest ocean. WITH several new infectious COVID-19 strains already spreading in some parts of the world, Progressive Liberal Party leader Phillip "Brave" Davis is urging the government to release a plan that allows for more virus testing and isolation to help prevent a third wave of COVID-19 in the country. "Problems of Research and Training in Small Islands with a Social Science Faculty," in, Collinwood, Dean and Rick Phillips, "The National Literature of the New Bahamas,", Collinwood, Dean. Collinwood, Dean and Steve Dodge. Africa is not a third world country, in fact, it is not a country at all. It is known simply as Creole[1] to differentiate it from Bahamian English. The islands' population is predominantly Christian. On 7 May 2020, the European Commission adopted a new delegated regulation in relation to third countries which have strategic deficiencies in their AML/CFT regimes that pose significant threats to the financial system of the Union ('high-risk third countries'). [16][better source needed], The word The constitutes an integral part of the short form of the name and is, therefore, capitalised. The Bahamas contains about 1,620 km (1,010 mi) of paved roads. Cemented ooids are referred to as grapestone. The late 1970s saw the game begin to decline in the country as teachers, who had previously come from the United Kingdom with a passion for cricket, were replaced by teachers who had been trained in the United States. This is a list of the official minimum wage rates of the 193 United Nations member states and former members of the United Nations, also including the following territories and states with limited recognition: Northern Cyprus, and Kosovo and other independent countries. [144] Pauline Davis-Thompson, Debbie Ferguson, Chandra Sturrup, Savatheda Fynes and Eldece Clarke-Lewis teamed up for the first athletics Olympic gold medal for the country when they won the 4 × 100 m relay at the 2000 Summer Olympics. Hon. [80], Coral growth was greater through the Tertiary, until the start of the ice ages, and hence those deposits are more abundant below a depth of 36 m (118 ft). [105], The white Bahamian population are mainly the descendants of the English Puritans and American Loyalists escaping the American Revolution who arrived in 1649 and 1783, respectively. [14], The name Bahamas is most likely derived from either the Taíno ba ha ma ("big upper middle land"), which was a term for the region used by the indigenous people,[15] or possibly from the Spanish baja mar ("shallow water or sea" or "low tide") reflecting the shallow waters of the area. The first inhabitants of The Bahamas were the Taino people, who moved into the uninhabited southern islands from Hispaniola and Cuba around the 800s–1000s AD, having migrated there from South America; they came to be known as the Lucayan people. [84], The Bahamanian military is the Royal Bahamaian Defence Force (RBDF),[85] the navy of The Bahamas which includes a land unit called Commando Squadron (Regiment) and an Air Wing (Air Force). Representing The Bahamas, Knowles won gold in the 1959 Pan American Games star class (with Farrington). Haiti topped the list with 8,122 cases, followed by Suriname with 3,698. [23][18] Piracy and attacks from hostile foreign powers were a constant threat. Other sports such as golf,[140] rugby league,[141] rugby union,[142] beach soccer,[143] and netball are considered growing sports. The total fertility rate is 2.0 children born/woman (2010). The first political parties were formed in the 1950s, split broadly along ethnic lines – the United Bahamian Party (UBP) representing the English-descended Bahamians (known informally as the 'Bay Street Boys'),[55] and the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) representing the Afro-Bahamian majority. Triathlons are gaining popularity in Nassau and the Family Islands. In fact, it’s the surprise victories that have provided many of the more memorable moments across the first four editions. [103] Three centuries prior, in 1722 when the first official census of The Bahamas was taken, 74% of the population was native European and 26% native African. From all over the World Bank is an international development organization owned by 187 countries capital is on... To generate most of its economic activity and Labor located laterally of 1985 less... Edge of the United States service-based industry with some islands practice of is. 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